TO-LE-DO ( an early MASH reference)

Hi gang! Well what road did I ramble this past weekend? None other than the might I-75. North. To Toledo. You know, the last stop before ... dare I say ... Michigan? That reference may only make sense if you follow college ball. Just Saying.
Thanksgiving is a time to spend with ... what ever gives you thanks. I have much to be thankful for, but this day I spent with my ... ummm... I spent it with Al. But more importantly I spent it with Al's family. Namely his Sister and Niece.
Those that know me understand I really like Sisters :). They can be the best! Jill is proof of that. I am still sorta getting used to the Niece thang - I'm not married and the salutation always made me wince slightly ...
Any way - Al and I wandered up Route 68 to 15 to 75. I don't mean to be anti-climatic with the mundane detail that we actually spent more time on 68 than I-75. Please, try to put your grief aside. Here is a hankie ...
Bucolic would be a fitting explanation for the trip to Toledo. It truly was both going to and coming from. Our route took us through Amish country. I know, so what? I am still enamored by those who chose to live off the land, yet are savvy enough to figure out how to make modern times work for them. As we were traveling down the road I saw an Amish farmer plowing his field. He was on the plow as his 2 large horses pulled him through the muck and the dirt. He was turning the field. A simpler time perhaps? Or not ... all the same it made me smile.
Toledo is a far cry from an Amish man plowing his field with horses. But still it was interesting. Scrappy town, Toledo. You can see it's hey day in the abandoned buildings and dilapidated properties.  It's once proud contribution seemingly dissipated. But not really. There is still a lot going on in the heart of Toledo. Restaurants, hard-working stiffs, and just folks who call Toledo home. That is what I got to see ... folks who call this place home. This included Al's family. They haven't given up on this city. I don't think it has even occurred to them. They are where they are and they are living their life. Period. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Did you know that you can have chickens in Toledo? OK. But did you know you could have chickens in your garage in Toledo? Yep. I saw it first hand. Part of that scrappy attitude. Al's sister has transformed half of her garage to egg laying hens! AND they have a run - a passage from inside the relative security of the garage to an outside run. While I was there several eggs were collected, chickens were thanked for her contribution, and life within this city continued in a most unexpected way.
Ahh - such a vision on my trip to Toledo. Did I mention on the way home I watched an Amish buggy go up the road and then continue on its route on a somewhat chilly, damp, dreary day? Again I marveled at the tenacity of the Amish.
I wonder what I will behold on the trip to Florida .... :)

St. Louis and the Exciting Interstate Cornfields

I know you are all waiting with baited breath about the roads I rambled this past weekend. Well wait no longer, folks - today is your lucky day! I am here to tell you of the grand scenery that awaits any adventurous traveler who decided to trek I-70 west from Springfield Ohio to East St. Louis.

If you think corn fields are interesting during the summer, try the fall ... it is either mind blowing or mind numbing depending on a number of things, including flashbacks and narcolepsy.

We did have a few hills. Those were nice. Well nice until you get behind a semi who just has to pass that other semi. In Indiana. Doing 65. then trying to do 65. Then hoping to do 65. The speed limit is 70 for the cars, but 65 for trucks. Apparently when a truck slows to 64 this causes other trucks to get agitated. i think it must be like blood in the water to sharks. You start noticing the other trucks acting more aggressive, speeding up a bit more, the diesel exhaust takes on a more ominous appearance. Yes it is palatable .... 10-4 good buddy we got us a limper on the right - we gonna nail it to the floor and smoke that boy.  And then the trucks hits that magical 66 MPH mark -whoohoo! Outta my way. The other trucks are hyper-vigilant at this point, barely able to contain those 9 gears inside that tractor.

The metal unknowingly feeding the frenzy in the driver at this point. The trucker shifts in the seat - to his left, then the right, moves a little closer to the wheel - he feels it too! We take in the mayhem through out windshield, watching, waiting, antici .... pating. Watching for that moment when ... YES the Schneider truck passed the SWIFT truck limping along at 63 MPH! You can almost hear the snicker in the sounds coming from the Schneider truck - 'sucker I gotcha this time' it seethes menacingly. And all this only took 8.2 miles. Imagine my thrill when, after we stopped at the pilot, we got to watch the entire scene unfold before us yet one more time. Who says Indiana is boring?

Illinois, now that was some awesome scenery. I could not believe my eyes when I saw signs for the worlds biggest bottle of catsup. Surely they jest. But no! Our journey took us close enough to view this monument to sugared tomatoes with a bit of tang! Yes from our route we were able to glimpse this huge monument, cleverly disguising a water tower. Here is a picture that I shamelessly stole from the website!

For those of you who cannot fathom this bit of Americana, you can read the whole story here: Big Ass Catsup Bottle.

And so we wound up in Fairview Heights, IL our final destination. We had a wonderful weekend with friends but it was the drive there that just says it all. I can't imagine how our next trip will top this one.

The worlds largest bottle of catsup. WOW. Cross that bad boy off my bucket list.

Got to start somewhere ... right?

well this is my sorry attempt at journaling where I'm heading. But, what I am really doing is learning how to blog. My Sister and Brother-in-law have been chronicling their retirement escapades and I love it.
I am using this blog to start posting the places I am going and the places I am looking at to live ... and just finding roads I can ramble on.
This is my journey ... Thanks for joining me.